The beginning of this new academic year was heralded by the arrival of bright, freshly minted housestaff and new faculty and attendings. All are eager to engage in the principal activity of Cedars-Sinai – the superb care of a wide-ranging group of patients with the most challenging illnesses. The recent release of the U.S. News and World Report rankings of outstanding hospitals reaffirms our standing in the health care firmament.

The Division of Surgical Oncology is proud to announce the accreditation of two fellowships received this month, the Complex Surgical Oncology Fellowship accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship accredited by the Society of Surgical Oncology.

At first, it looked like any other day at the 310 Building, Cedars-Sinai's Outpatient Surgery Center on San Vicente Boulevard. It was business as usual, until you noticed the patients were all children, the surgeons were all volunteering, and the entire day of surgery was part of a charitable mission, a partnership between Cedars-Sinai and the medical nonprofit organization Mending Kids International.

Ten new residents have begun their internships with the Department of Surgery. Cedars-Sinai's four general surgery residents are joined by the third incoming class of urology residents and the second incoming class of orthopedic residents. They were chosen from among 700 applicants in General Surgery, 450 In Orthopedic Surgery and 200 in Urology.

Rachel Coren, MS, MPH, has been named manager of Cedars-Sinai Pre-Procedure Services within the OR/Anesthesia/Surgery Center service line. Coren will be responsible for the Anesthesia Pre-Procedure Evaluation Center in the Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion and will work across the health system to improve patient, surgeon and referring physician procedural experiences.

June decisions by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee include several changes to the formulary. Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that the blood pressure drug olmesartan medoxomil can cause intestinal problems known as sprue-like enteropathy, and the agency is investigating two unexplained deaths in patients who received an intramuscular injection of the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa Relprevv (olanzapine pamoate).

Achilles A. Demetriou, MD, PhD, an internationally distinguished surgical scientist who spent nearly four decades investigating and treating liver disease, and who led Cedars-Sinai's Department of Surgery to national distinction, has died. He was 67.

As a senior member of Cedars-Sinai's leadership team, Danny Malaniak was instrumental in the growth of its academic and research enterprises, earning the position of associate vice president for Academic Affairs. Malaniak died last week after a long-standing illness. As word of his passing spread through Cedars-Sinai, physicians, researchers, assistants and others recalled a leader who became the institution's administrative glue through much of the 1970s, '80s and early '90s, setting the stage for the modern-day health system.

The Circle of Friends program honored 179 people in June. Circle of Friends allows grateful patients to make a donation in honor of the physicians, nurses, caregivers and others who have made a difference during their time at Cedars-Sinai. When a gift is made, the person being honored receives a custom lapel pin and a letter of acknowledgement.